A local man was arrested on Tuesday for stealing HK$6,000 and 20 patacas kept in a motorcycle’s helmet box last Saturday, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The 57-year-old suspect surnamed Vong told the police that he is a construction worker.
According to Chong, a man reported to the police early last Saturday that he had parked his motorbike in Estrada do Reservatório, put his wallet in the helmet box then went to the nearby area to exercise. When he returned to collect his vehicle, he discovered that the money in his wallet had gone. He reported the case to the police.
Chong said that PJ officers scrutinised CCTV footage of the nearby area and identified Vong as the suspect. The officers discovered that Vong had committed multiple thefts before and was released from prison in January this year. He also committed four thefts between September and November this year and was required to report to the police on a regular basis.
According to Chong, Vong was taken in for questioning when he reported to the police station on Tuesday afternoon. He admitted to stealing the victim’s money that day. He told the police that he had a gambling habit and looked for victims in the reservoir neighbourhood to steal money from their helmet boxes. After stealing the money from the victim’s helmet box that day, he went straight to a nearby casino and gambled away all the stolen money.
Vong has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing an aggravated theft charge, according to Chong.
